Chapter 84
Aria’s POV
I grabbed my phone and rushed to the door, my heart hammering in my chest. Sure enough, a police car was parked outside with several officers standing at attention.
“Ms.Carter?” one officer asked, eyeing me carefully. “Your friend reported a possible break-in at your residence. Is there an intruder in your home p>
My face burned with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, officer. There’s no break-in—it’s just a misunderstanding. My husband returned from his business trip, and I briefly thought it might be an intruder. My friend hung up before I could explain p>
The officer seemed to understand this was probably a false alarm, but still followed protocol. “No intruder, no other concerns? Would it be possible for your husband to come down so we can verify everything’s okay p>
I hesitated, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “He’s actually in the shower right now. It’s not really convenient p>
“That’s fine, we can wait,” the officer replied firmly.
I reluctantly invited them to wait in the entryway, but they insisted on staying at the door. As I turned to go back inside, the officer called out, “Ms. Jones, if you don’t return within five minutes, we’ll have to come inside p>
The warning was delivered loud enough that anyone inside could hear it. My scalp prickled with anxiety-I’d never been in such an embarrassing situation before.
“Understood, Officer Brooks,” I replied, then hurried back into the house and up to the master bedroom.
Just as I’d guessed, Aiden was indeed showering. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and after a moment’s hesitation, I pushed it open and slipped inside. The bathroom door, however, was completely closed.
With Officer Brooks’ five-minute deadline looming, I reluctantly knocked on the bathroom door, my face already flushing. Through the door, I could hear the shower running.
My mind suddenly conjured images of the two of us making love, and I quickly slapped my cheeks to banish the thought. I knocked harder and called out, “Aiden, it’s me p>
The water stopped almost immediately. Before I could prepare myself, the door swung open and there stood Aiden, water still dripping from his body, a towel slung dangerously low on his hips.
His muscular chest was right in front of my face, and I froze completely.
“What’s happened?” his deep voice rumbled from above me.
I struggled to maintain my composure, but my voice betrayed me: “The… the police want to see you p>
“Police p>
Aiden’s brow furrowed, then understanding dawned on his face. “I see. I’ll be down right away p>
He didn’t immediately close the door, though. His dark eyes studied my flushed face, his gaze dropping to my nose as his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Aria,” he said, his voice controlled.
“Yes?” I looked up nervously, unable to resist stealing another glance at his chest.
God, were his muscles even bigger than before? I had the strangest urge to touch them.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
Realizing I’d been caught staring, I froze in place. His intense dark eyes seemed to see straight through me, like he could read my every thought.
I bit my lip, feeling heat spread from my ears to my cheeks. “Nothing at all. Would you believe me p>
“I need to get dressed. The police are waiting.” I backed away quickly. “You should come down soon p>
I practically ran from the room. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, my heart was still pounding erratically.
How mortifying!
I paused at the front door, pressing one hand to my chest while the other touched my burning cheeks. After taking thirty seconds to compose myself, I stepped outside.
“Sorry about the wait, Officer Brooks. My husband will be down momentarily p>
The officer nodded. I could tell by his expression that he’d already figured out this was just a misunderstanding, but since I’d already notified Aiden, they couldn’t just leave.
Aiden appeared quickly, dressed in a black bathrobe, his short hair still dripping. I glanced at him nervously, then made introductions: “Officer Brooks, this is Aiden Carter, my husband p>
Looking at Aiden, my face heated up again. We needed to maintain our happily married façade in front of others, so I took a deep breath and added softy Honey, this is Officer Brooks.
His dark eyes flickered toward me briefly before he draped his arm around my shoulders, his large hand resting firmly against me. The unexpectedly intimate gesture made my ears burn.
Officer Brooks clearly recognized Aiden—a man of his status would be familiar from financial magazines and interviews. This seemed to put the officer at ease.
“Mr. Carter, this was just a precaution to ensure your wife’s safety p>
Aiden nodded, completely unbothered. “Of course. Thank you for your diligence p>
“Since everything’s fine, we won’t keep you any longer p>
“Appreciate it,” Aiden replied.
The police car pulled away, and I breathed a sigh of relief. But that relief was short- lived.
I glanced cautiously at Aiden, quick to apologize. “Aiden, I’m so sorry about this p>
He looked at me, withdrawing his arm, his expression unreadable.
“Nice,” he said flatly before turning to walk back into the house.
I cringed, following him inside. Who would’ve thought Lillian would react so quickly?
Thinking of Lillian, I quickly sent her a text explaining everything.
After all that excitement, it was nearly midnight. I hadn’t showered yet, so I grabbed my pajamas and was about to head to the bathroom when there was a knock at my door.
With only Aiden and me in the mansion, there was no question who it could be.
I set down my clothes and opened the door, my breath catching at the sight before me. Dear God, the way Aiden’s bathrobe hung open slightly at the chest was absolutely sinful.
I forced my gaze upward, trying to maintain my composure. “What is it, Aiden p>
“Want a late-night snack?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m not hungry—” Before I could finish, my stomach betrayed me with an audible growl.
Aiden clearly heard it, his eyes flicking down to my midsection. “Keep me company,” he said.
“Y-yes, of course p>
Aiden looked at me with those penetrating eyes. “Go shower first. The food will be delivered shortly p>
I nodded, watching as he turned and
walked away. Once he was gone quickly closed my door and glanced down at my traitorous stomach” before grabbing my pajamas and heading to the bathroom.
Despite claiming I wasn’t hungry, I ended up devouring a bowl of soup and two mini lobster quiches when the food arrived. As layed the last, quiche sitting in the serving dish, I forced myself to exercise some restraint.
Aiden caught my lingering gaze. “Full p>
My face heated up instantly. His question was completely innocent, but after everything that had happened earlier, I felt embarrassed. “Yes, I’m full p>
“Hmm p>
To my surprise, he picked up the last quiche and held it directly to my lips, silently commanding me to open my mouth. I hesitantly parted my lips and accepted it.
As I finished chewing and swallowing, Aiden suddenly asked, “Was it good p>
I didn’t quite understand why he’d ask when he’d been eating the same food, but I nodded anyway. “Yes, it was delicious p>
The moment the words left my mouth, he responded in a low voice that sent shivers down my spine. “Is that so? Let me taste again p>
Before I could process his words, Aiden suddenly stood up, leaned across the table, tilted my chin upward, and pressed his lips against mine!